


Where you go

by SandraMorningstar



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Gen, Inspired by the Spectre trailer, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 09:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3645447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandraMorningstar/pseuds/SandraMorningstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Q realizes that Bond is behaving strangely - and then the agent disappears.<br/>But Q won't just stand by and hope for Bond to return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where you go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EllaStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllaStorm/gifts).



> This is for my friend, EllaStorm. She was so nice to tell me when the Spectre trailer would be released. I stayed up almost all night to watch it. :)
> 
> Now I am even more hyped to see Spectre and also got inspired for this little Oneshot.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

It was sudden.

And even though – in retrospect – Q should have seen it coming, he didn’t.

 

* * *

 

It started five weeks prior to Bond’s disappearance. The agent had come back from a mission and hadn’t come down to hand in his weapons.

Q only found out when Eve came to ask about some reports he had had to fill out.

“Do you know why James is in such a foul mood today?”

“I didn’t even know he was back”, Q said a little irked. He knew he had no real right to be pissed that the agent hadn’t come to see them – he still was.

Moneypenny’s eyes widened. “He hasn’t come to see you?”, she asked.

Q shook his head.

“Then something must really be wrong.”

“He probably just needs to vent a little”, Q shrugged.

 

When Bond showed up at the door of his apartment with a bottle of Champagne, Q stopped worrying.

They spent an enjoyable night together.

Everything seemed alright.

 

He got a little worried when Bond didn’t show up for dinner a week later. They had reserved a table at a new restaurant but the agent never showed.

Q looked at his phone, expecting a short text explaining Bond’s absence. Nothing.

That was unusual.

Normally, the agent always sent a message when he couldn’t make it.

He was a little angry and a bit disappointed but told himself that there must be a good reason. At least he did until he ran into Bond on his way back home. The agent was visibly drunk and didn’t even notice Q until he’d nearly bumped into him.

“Q? Shit.” The curse escaped Bond who immediately looked horrified and eager to take it back which he couldn’t of course.

“Nice to see you, too”, Q retorted dryly. “Why weren’t you at the restaurant?”

“I … had something come up. I am looking for an old friend I lost contact with a long time ago. I was at the places he liked to go to, asking around if anyone had seen him.”

“I hope it was worth it”, Q said, tired and disheartened. “You could have called, you know?” With that he left.

Bond didn’t try to stop or follow him.

 

The agent did, however, try to make reparations the next days.

He spent more time in Q branch again and made sure the quarter didn’t work long hours. When they spent time together away from work, Bond spoilt him. He invited him to the opera or the movies, bought him dinner at expensive restaurants.

It was charming at first but soon, Q grew uncomfortable.

He didn’t like always being on the receiving end of such treats. It made him feel like he needed to somehow compensate for hit and that stressed him.

After a while he finally mustered up the courage to tell Bond how he felt about it. The agent took it remarkably well.

“Our relationship should never stress you”, he said.

And that was that.

 

Then, Bond suddenly grew distant.

At first, Q didn’t really notice. He was busy at work and hadn’t had much time to himself. Most days he worked late and then only crashed for a few hours on the couch in his office instead of going home.

When work finally let up a bit he asked Bond if he wanted to come over tonight.

Bond refused.

Q nodded understandingly. It was no big deal, he said. Another day, then.

He asked again two days later, then three days after that and another time two weeks later. Always getting a no and an obvious excuse.

He was disappointed but didn’t say anything to Bond. He didn’t want to be clingy.

 

It only got worse after that.

Sometimes, he didn’t saw James for days even though he knew from other employees that he was around and doing nothing more than pestering everybody or silently stalking the halls like a predator let loose.

When he finally did come, it took them all of four minutes to get into a fight.

Q couldn’t even remember what it was about or who started yelling first. Their argument grew heated fast and it was one of those where you say stuff you regret later.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about!”, James roared accusingly.

“You know damn well that I do, 007. Don’t dare to question my competence!”

“I question whatever I want about you!”

It went on until Security was sent in and broke them apart.

 

The next day, Q wanted to apologize.

He’d spent the evening alone in his apartment and the longer he’d sat and thought about their fight, the more irrelevant it seemed to him.

So when it was time for lunch he went to Bond’s office, hoping to catch the agent before he went to the canteen or some restaurant.

Startlingly, he found his office empty.

He asked around but nobody had seen Bond. He wasn’t on mission either – Q would know if that was the case. Finally, he tried his phone but the agent didn’t pick up.

He sent a text, asking Bond to, please, call him.

When Eve came down to deliver some files, he asked her to look for Bond.

“He should be around”, she told him.

“Well, he isn’t”, Q said, a little surly. “He didn’t even come in this morning and he doesn’t pick up his phone.”

“I know this is a touchy subject but considering your fight yesterday, it doesn’t surprise me”

The quartermaster sighed. “I know. Could you try reaching him, please?” He bit his lip nervously. “I know it sounds stupid but I have a bad feeling.”

“I’ll see what I can do but don’t expect miracles”, Eve said sympathetically.

“I don’t.”

She looked at him a moment longer with a sad smile, then left.

 

At around four in the morning, Q was awoken by his phone. It was Tanner.

“I hope the world is ending or something”, Q mumbled sleepily.

“Bond dropped off the grid”, Tanner interrupted him. “Nobody knows where he went.”

“Activate his tracker then”, Q said grumpily.

“The tracker won’t respond. We tried several times. He must have gotten rid of it.”

“That’s impossible”, the quartermaster informed, slowly waking up as the weight of the situation settled on him. “It’s subcutaneous. He would have to–”

“Cut it out, I know”, Tanner finished in his stead. “Seems like he did.”

“Fuck!”, Q exclaimed silently. “I’m on my way.”

 

He got out of bed and put on whatever clothes were closest to reach, then headed for the door.

Still only in socks, he headed for the door to put on some shoes and grab his messenger bag and keys. Something caught his eye – a small white envelope lay on the floor.

Curious, Q picked it up and opened it. His heart missed a beat as he read the message.

_Q,_  
I am sorry we fought and I am sorry I can’t tell you this personally.   
There are private matters I need to take care of and I need to do it   
on my own. Do not try to find me! No matter what, do not look for   
me! I am alright and I will come back.   
_Bond_

 

Q went to MI6, the message safely hidden away in his messenger bag, determined to find 007 but the agent was unreachable even for him. It was like he had literally vanished.

But he knew Bond was still there.

He got text messages from him. Always from prepaid phones that were discarded soon afterwards. The message was always the same.

_Still alive. See you soon. – 007_

It was reassuring but it wasn’t enough.

Q read the letter over and over the course of the next weeks. The text messages kept coming, too.

Did Bond really believe this was enough? Did he think he would just stand by and watch, waiting for him to come back?

If so, he was wrong.

 

* * *

 

Q sat at the airport waiting for boarding to begin. He cursed Bond silently for forcing him on a bloody plane.

He had broken at least a dozen laws to find Bond.

He didn’t care.

He had a location. That was all that mattered.

His flight was called and he stood up, knees shaking but determined.

The text messages had stopped a few days ago and Q just knew the man was in trouble.

As the plane took off, the quartermaster screwed his eyes shut and tried to calm his racing heart. He had taken a sleeping pill but it would be a few more minutes before the effects kicked in. Consciously breathing in and out slowly and steadily, he conjured up the picture of 007 in his head.

_Please don’t be dead_ , he thought.


End file.
